Two Thirds of Graduates Hail Skills Gained at University

Results from the most recent Graduate Survey reveal some interesting
views regarding university degrees and the role they have in eventually
securing a graduate position.

A poll conducted by one of the UK's
leading site for finding employment, reed.co.uk, revealed that a majority of
recent graduates find their degree useful in landing that first job, despite
the high price of university fees and the high rates of unemployment that they
have to contend with.

Of the 679 graduates surveyed who
had attended university, a third (34%) believed their degree was indispensible
and a further third (32%) found that it had been 'somewhat useful'. The remaining
34% said that they had not used any of the information or skills acquired at
university in their first employment following graduation.

“The findings suggest the outlook
for students, graduates and anyone considering taking a place at university is
less bleak than the media may have us believe,” said Mark Rhodes from
reed.co.uk.

Rhodes pointed out that despite university
hardly being a ‘low cost option’, with more than a third of graduates
indicating that their degree has been indispensible in their first job, there
are compelling reasons as to why it's a worthwhile investment.

“Very few degrees equip graduates
with the skills required to walk straight in to a career, so it's crucial to
approach future employment with a resilient and open mind, always considering
what transferable skills you can take the jobs market.”

These figures also
showed that 70% of health and medicine students either ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly
agreed’ that their degrees better equipped them for the workplace. Nearly 44%
of engineering students said they would choose a different course altogether if
they could go back though.

What do you think? Has your degree equipped
you for your initial employment after graduation?